"The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" is a song by American indie rock band the National.

It was released on 11 May 2017 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, Sleep Well Beast.

A music video for the song was released on the same day and was directed by Casey Reas.

[2] On the day of its release, Pitchfork named it Best New Track, noting that "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" is "heavy and urgent and surprisingly aggressive—and not just because of Aaron Dessner's gnarly guitar solo in the middle.

"[3] Paste magazine named it one of the five best songs of the week, placing it at the number 4 position and wrote: "Floating in with poignant piano chords and twitchy guitar, 'The System' features multiple instrumental layers, with trumpet fluttering over propulsive percussion and Matt Berninger's thundering baritone.